Miss Taken

Chapter 7-Thirsty

Chapter 7

I woke up in a cold sweat. Though there were no windows or clocks in the room to tell I what time it was, it didn't matter because I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep after that nightmare.
I raised myself off the bed, the springs squeaking. My heart was still pounding, but it was slowing now.
Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night feeling like someone just dumped a bucket of sand down your throat and washed it down with acid? No? Me neither.
I do, however, occasionally wake up with a really dry throat and feel like water would taste as good as sour cream and onion Pringles. And if you are sensible in any way, you will know that that means water would taste amazing.
I considered banging on the door to get Karter to get me a glass of water, but decided I didn't want to awake the slumbering ball of fury that was Riley Temples.
Finally, I pulled at the doorknob in some desperate attempt to reach the heaven-liquid. To my surprise, the doorknob turned and the latch in the door clicked softly. I pulled the door open carefully, the rusty hinges emitting a creak as it swung open.
Stupid though it might have been, it was only after I had found where the cups were that I realized I could escape. There was a door right there, and I had been led to the car blindfolded enough times to know pretty much how to get out.
I took a reluctant look at my empty cup but set it quietly on the counter and walked quickly but quietly to the door next to the kitchen. It was almost too much to hope that the door would be unlocked. I mean, after all, this was the lair of two kidnappers. Surely they at least had a second precaution in case of an event like this.
But it was! The door opened, only squeaking a little when I pulled it open. I found myself in an old garage that held a van and a bunch of other junk, mostly tools and auto parts.
To my dismay, I realize that the garage didn't have a door-just one for the car that couldn't be opened without the remote.
Dang flabbit!
Yes, I make up fake words when I'm angry.
But then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a light. I turned to see what it came from, but it was just the reflection off a metal trashcan. I sighed, turning and looking for other options.
Wait, reflection?
I spun back around to look at the trashcan. The light had to come from somewhere, and there were no lights in here. Finally, I noticed that there was a window in the back of the garage, mostly covered by a piece of foam board. I pulled the foam board away and revealed a window about three feet wide and maybe two feet tall. I unlocked the latch and opened the window, again amazed that it wasn't nailed shut or anything.
This is almost too easy, I thought.
I climbed through the window and closed it behind me.
I stared at the sky around me for a moment, amazed by it. I realized I hadn't seen daylight for days except through a window. Still, this wasn't exactly daylight. The moon was sinking toward the horizon, but I guessed we still had several hours of darkness left. I turned and clambered over the wooden fence behind me.
I found myself looking into a yard with a black lab laying in a plastic igloo. He went on alert when he saw me on his fence and growled.
"Shh," I hissed. "I'm leaving, I'm leaving."
I moved along to the next yard. There were no visible animals here, but there were some dead holly bushes along my edge of the fence that I didn't think I could clear. The sidewalk was just up ahead anyway.
I landed on the ground, my sneakers sinking into the grass below. I glanced back from where I came, but I saw no one. Just then I remembered what I had forgot.
Riley.
I am so dead.
But I couldn't go back, not now. I reasoned with myself that if I could get home now I could tell the police where they were and we could get Riley back too. I nodded at my decision and walked on in the shadows of the houses.
My heart was pounding. Even if I hadn't just escaped two kidnappers, I would still be scared. Wherever I was was not exactly the best neighborhood. The houses lining this side of the road were old and were more like shacks to be honest. Down the street from where I was, I could see a line of rusty, old, run down shops and a band of darkly dressed teenagers laughing drunkly.
Great.
I walked briskly to the corner of the road and glanced down the road. The houses looked like all the others-old and broken down. I swallowed nervously. Though I knew the smart thing to do in this situation was to knock on some doors and ask for a phone, by the look of these houses I had no guarantee that they wouldn't try to kidnap me too.
And then there would be a kidnapping war, I thought.
Really, that's what you're worried about, Laur?
Lost in my own thoughts, I hadn't realized that the drunken teenagers had gotten closer. A lot closer. I turned to hurry off the other way, but one of them grabbed my arm.
"Where ya goin', prettyyyy?" one slurred.
"I don't-" I began, but was cut off when I saw a fist smash into the side of the boy's head. For a moment I wondered if one of his friends had turned on him or something, but when I turned around I realized the situation was even worse.
Karter stood behind me, his fists clenched and his eyes like lightning in a storm. I wanted to scream, but I felt frozen. Crap, crap, crap!
"Leave," he growled.
The teenagers, even in their drunken states, knew not to mess with him. They scattered, leaving their fallen buddy unconscious on the ground. Karter grabbed my wrist and dragged me back.
"Karter, Karter, wait. We have to help that kid!" I protested, pulling back. This was partially to give me another chance to escape, but also because I didn't think anyone deserved to be punched and then left unconscious on the street-especially in a place like this.
Karter hardly stopped when he reached down and picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder and continuing to walk down the street.
"You're ruining a potential romantic moment!" I complained, more angry about being caught than actually the fact that he wasn't carrying me romantically.
"It's not supposed to be romantic, Lauryn," Karter said through gritted teeth.
"Well I'm glad this isn't you trying. Otherwise I might have to find a new boy- ahh!"
Karter picked me up and dropped me on the ground rather painfully. Seriously, I think I might have twisted my ankle.
"I'm not your boyfriend, I'm your kidnapper. I'm a bad person, Laur."
"No you're not," I said. "You're hot so that means you're just misguided."
He scowled at me. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Like it or not, Karter, you're hot so I have to trust you," I said matter-of-factly.
"This has nothing to do with how hot you think I am! I am kidnapping you!" Karter exclaimed.
"Shout it out for the whole world to hear, won't you?" I muttered. A light in a nearby house flicked on.
Karter cursed under his breath. "Come on."
He picked me up again and jogged quickly back to the house. I screamed, believe me. I screamed and yelled, pounding on his back and screaming and yelling some more, but he reached back with one hand and buried my face in his back, muffling my screaming to a pathetic squeak.
Finally, I reached down with my leg and kicked him in the stomach. He bent over in pain, his body rumbling with an angry growl. But while he was bent over, I bit him in the spine.
Yes, you heard me right. I bit him in the spine. Apparently it hurt because he cried out and dropped me onto the grass. Luckily, I rolled so my head avoided the ground but it was still going to leave a bruise. Nonetheless, I stood up and began sprinting down the street. I heard Karter's footsteps behind me almost instantly. I was a pretty fast runner, but dang it, he still had cheetah powers!
He grabbed me from behind, pulling me back into his arms. Dang it, that sounds like such a good romantic moment! I shrieked, but he clamped his hand over my mouth. More lights around the neighborhood flicked on and Karter scowled, dragging me quickly back to the house.
I spoke furiously underneath his hand but he said nothing until we were finally inside the kitchen. He then released his hand and looked at me in annoyance. "What?"
"I'm thirsty," I said.



A/N: Hey y'all! I'm not southern, actually. I just act like it sometimes. Anywayy, here is your update! I wasn't planning on getting it until tomorrow but a wonderful person named Goofy_Toothed_Pixie messaged me and gave me encouragement to go on! For Narnia!! Okay, calm down. But yeah, sorry if that one part gets a little dark :/ I tried to keep it as light as possible but she's the victim of a kidnapping so everything isn't going to be rainbows and butterflies. Again, a little bit of a Laurter moment blooming... Do they get a couple name yet? Maybe? I don't know. Just go with it.
Okay, sorry I am seriously so hyper today. But that makes no sense because I had a ton of finals today. No matter! I will go on! No, I'm calming down now.
Seriously.